New wireless feed level measuring device

Norwegian fish farms are becoming increasingly digitalized and managed according to measurements of water environment. However for a long time, a reliable meter for fish feed storage has been missed.

The development of a new feed meter has been followed with great interest in the aquaculture industry and is now available for sale through the company Bio Marine in Trondheim.

“It’s robust and functional and has been testing since September last year. It will make it simple to get accurate figures on how much feed is in stock, “says Svein Svengaard at Bio Marine in Trondheim.

Acoustics

The flow of fish feed to the aquaculture industry is increasing and larger fleets are being built to support the automatic feed systems. Estimating the amount of feed in stock is important both for warehousing and logistics. However, the problem has been that the meters on the market have not tolerated dust and grease, which frequently occurs in the feed silos. However, the new meter is based on measurement by sound and is not affected by the dust etc. as other products on the market.

“When the meters fail, measurements are based on visual estimates, however often endt out to be subjective. To achieve effective logistics oneshould know how much feed there is in stock. With the new acoustic meters, a challenge is cleared. The meters are almost maintenance free, says Svengaard at Bio Marine.

Integrated

The meter comes with a ready-made website where all the silos are displayed as shapes. The website is integrated in the same website as for Meox, where water flow, salinity, oxygen and temperature can be seen is installed.

– Farm operation are becoming increasingly advanced, and the need for precise monitoring of the environment in the cages is crucial for both well-being and efficient operation. Many have asked for a simple and reliable meter for quantity of feed in stock. It is therefore a good day for us now that we can offer this new meter, says Svengaard.

A week after receiving the product, a number of requests from regular customers have been received.

“Farmes already have probes from us who tell oxygen saturation and currents in the sea, I suppose they also would like to know how much feed they have in stock,” says Svengaard.